Portable savings-bank.



Patented June ATTORNEY WITNESSES AW OLQ,

UNITED STAT I E PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. JOHNSON, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB TO THE AMERICAN HARDWARE CORPORATION, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

PORTABLE SAVINGS-BANK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 2, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. Jornvson, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Portable Savings- Bank, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more especially to that class of receptacles constructed to receive money temporarily deposited therein, and an object of the invention among others is to provide a device of this class having means to prevent the unauthorized extraction of coins after they have been placed in the receptacle.

One form of device embodying my inven tion and in the construction and use of which the object above set out, as well as others, may be attained, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a view in side elevation of a savings bank embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view in cross-section through the bank on plane denoted by dotted line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating the operation of my improved guard. Fig. i is a detail view illustrating the guard in a different position from that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing a modilied form of construction, the guard being shown in top view. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the guard of the modified form in side View.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 5 denotes the case or shell of the bank, within which a money receptacle is inclosed, a cap 6 forming a part of this re ceptacle and closing one end of the case 5. A top 7 is located to form the top of the compartment within which the receptacle is located, a space 8 being left between this top and the upper wall of the casing, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the receptacle 9 fitting quite closely within the case so that it may be readily placed therein or removed therefrom. All of the parts thus far described are of well known construction and further description is therefore deemed unnecessary herein.

In order to prevent the coins from being removed through the coin slots 10, formed in the wall of the receptacle, 1 provide a guard which normally rests in front of the coin slots but which may be removed therefrom by a coin as it is passed into the slot, the guard returning to its normal position in front of the slot as soon as the coin has dropped into the receptacle. This guard consists of a swinging plate 11, pivotally mounted upon a stud 12, secured to a base 13 on the top 7, which base forms a guide to direct the movements of .the guard in a certain direction with respect to the coin slot 10. That surface of the base on which the plate 11 rests and moves is inclined with respect to the side of the receptacle to guide the plate in its swinging movement. A tongue l-i is downturned from the plate to lie in front of the slots 10, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. It will thus be seen that when a coin is inserted through the slot 10, it will press against the tongue 14-, moving it backward and swinging the plate 11 upon its pivot, and the inclined position of the axis of the pivot will cause the tongue to move, in addition to its pivotal movement toward and from the wall containing the slot, upward away from the slot, as shown in Fig. 4, so that the end of the tongue will lie above the slot 10 and allow entrance of the coin into the receptacle. That is, the tongue moves out of a plane passing through the slot parallel with the top and bottom of the case, which plane is also referred to herein as a horizontal plane. As soon as the coin has dropped, the spring 15 will return the guard to its norin a1 position, with the tongue lying in front of and close to the slot 10, so that a coin cannot be passed outwardly through the slot.

The description has been confined to a single guard and coin slot, but in the general form of construction there will be several of these slots and guards in a single bank.

In the form of device shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the swinging plate 16 is mounted on a stud 17 secured to the top 7. The opening in the plate through which the stud extends is of such size that the plate may swing readily thereon and also move lengthwise of the stud. The plate has a downturned tongue 18 located and moving as described with respect to the tongue 14. A guide 19 is secured to the top 7 within the compartment 8, this guide having a guide slot 20 through which the plate 16 passes, the guide slot being inclined with respect to the direction of movement of a coin through the slot 10, and as clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The operation of the tongue is the same as that of the tongue on the plate 11, a spring 21 returning the plate and tongue to normal position to guard the slot 10.

lVhile I have shown and described herein a preferred construction of device embodying my idea, this may be departed from to a greater or lesser extent and yet contain the invention.

I claim 1. A savings bank including a case having a coin slot therein, a guard for said slot, and a pivot upon which said guard is mounted to swing, the axis of said pivot being disposed obliquely to the line of movement of the coin through said slot to permit, in its backward swing, disengaging movement of the guard from the article applying thrust thereto.

2. A savings bank including a case wall having a coin slot therein, a guard for said slot within the bank, and a pivotal support for said guard having its axis disposed in a plane oblique to the line of movement of the coin through said slot.

3. A savings bank, including a case having a coin slot therein, a guard plate pivotally mounted within the case to swing from and toward the wall containing said slot and located to oppose movement of a coin through said slot, a base having a guide surface inclined with respect to the plane of said coin slot, said guard plate being mounted upon said base, and means for returning the guard to position in front of the coin slot when it has been removed therefrom.

4. A savings bank, including a case having a coin slot, a base having a guide surface inclined with respect to the plane of said coin slot, a guard plate pivotally mount ed on said base and having a tongue downturned to oppose the movement of a coin through the coin slot, and means for returning the guard plate and tongue to a position to oppose the movement of a coin through said slot.

CHARLES E. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

W. L. HOWE, ALICE B. MUNSON.

'Copies" of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. C. 

